The only way is up - Navigating the path to the Cloud

How your enterprise should navigate the path to the cloud. By Brian Klingbeil.

“Many companies see the benefits of adopting a cloud model that does not require alterations to traffic routing and security controls”
-Brian Klingbeil

A recessionary 2009 saw many enterprises moving to the managed infrastructure model to reduce CAPEX and costs whilst increasing business flexibility. 2010 will see that trend continue, with a growth in blending cloud infrastructure into other managed infrastructure services for business applications. Many enterprises will engage in their first cloud projects and start to shift budgets from conventional IT refresh cycles into cloud purchasing models.

This shift will mark the beginning of cloud becoming pervasive within UK enterprise. Those 'in the know' now understand that cloud is transcending the early hype and delivering real value. Developments in security and resource allocation systems mean that enterprise can now trust the cloud with mission critical applications and enterprise cloud adoption is likely to start in earnest late this year. 

Defining the cloud

Beyond the buzzwords and mixed definitions, cloud computing is a system of delivering data centre resources as price-elastic services over an enterprise network, to control costs and deliver scalability through automation. However, it is important to differentiate between enterprise cloud and 'consumer cloud'. Development teams that have been using cloud systems 'semi officially' for application prototypes will be forced to formalise these environments within the approved enterprise architecture. Many nascent environments will shift from publicly accessible 'consumer clouds' to full enterprise-grade cloud systems in 2010, to bring them into full compliance with their organisation's policies.

Clear benefits

Advancements in virtualisation technology, growing network bandwidth and faster hardware performance have all contributed to the emergence of flexible enterprise cloud offerings. Cloud computing providers allow firms to cut costs quickly and flexibly, while scaling in alignment with current business needs. By aligning IT cost with changing business cycles, companies can achieve just-in-time IT supply without having to over-purchase IT inventory. It also allows companies to reap the numerous advantages of outsourcing whilst retaining control over IT – thereby freeing up staff to focus on developing differentiating applications.

Adoption considerations

Companies should now evaluate their systems to assess where migration to managed and/or cloud services would deliver optimal benefit. They should then pursue a gradual migration path in conjunction with other managed services to ensure optimum return. Gradual immersion into this new services delivery model can be done by application type – for example, moving all marketing micro-sites to a cloud service model to address spikes in demand. Cloud migration can also be aligned to the software development lifecycle such as starting new application development in the cloud and promoting to production after quality testing is complete. 

Enterprise cloud migrations must also be planned in line with state-of-the-art practices and regulatory compliance. Many companies see the benefits of adopting a cloud model that does not require alterations to traffic routing and security controls. In order to maximise the benefits of cloud, its governance needs to be closely aligned with existing enterprise architectures that are already proven to work for the business. Having assessed the potential of cloud whilst keeping these concerns in mind, you can then evaluate potential cloud suppliers on the basis of their ability to transition your IT infrastructure whilst maintaining the vital security norms. A trusted supplier should also be willing to examine the optimum migration roadmap for your business, addressing cost and resource factors in addition to compliance and security challenges.

A tool for recovery

Now is the definitely the time to seriously consider the cloud model for your enterprise. By evaluating where the added flexibility of cloud can enable your business to be more responsive, you can closely align IT costs to revenue streams in a way that was previously impossible. By tightly coupling these costs through flexible provisioning, you will be able to scale up to meet demand and downgrade for lulls in activity or business downturn. This alignment of business drivers will enable you to seize the opportunities presented by a stronger economy in 2010.

Brian Klingbeil is the EMEA MD of Savvis, a global leader in IT infrastructure services and cloud computing for the enterprise and public sector. Prior to this, he served as VP of Finance and Strategic Planning for Savvis in the US for five years and has also held key positions at GTS Telecommunications & Qwest Communications."